Electric signaling system and apparatus for railroads



(No Model.)

O. H. KOYL & J. W. LATTIG. ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR RAILROADSq No. 427 -430. Patented May- 6, 1890.

' UNTT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HERSOHEL KOYL AND JACOB lVILLIAM LATTIG, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,430, dated May 6, 189 0.

Application filed February 3, 1890. $erial No. 338,966. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES HERSCHEL KOYL and JACOB WILLIAM LATTIG, of Easton, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Signaling Systems and Apparatus for Railroads, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrammatic view of an electrical automatic block system for railroads embodying our improvement.

Under our invention the railroad-track to which the system is applied is divided into sections, each of which insulated from the other, and the track-rails of these sections are included in and form part of the track'circuits, through the agency of which the sig nals are controlled. Each of these trackcireuits is constantly closed through the rails of its section, and includes a relay-magnet, which is shunted or demagnetized whenever and so long as a car is on the track-section, the circuit in this event being completed through the path of comparatively low resistance afforded by the Wheels and axles of the car. A system embodying these features is not new with us, broadly considered.

Our invention resides in the particular arrangement and disposition of the several parts of the system as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, to which we will now refer.

In the drawing, X is a dynamo-machine or other source of electrical supply furnishinga current of, say, fifty volts electro-inotive force. The'wires of the main circuit supplied from said generator are indicated at a a.

A 13 O are three railroad-track sections, (typical of any number of sections,) each insulated from the other. Each of these tracksections is in a branch circuit, or, as we term it, track-circuit a, separate and distinct from the others, all of said track-circuits a being permanently-closed circuits supplied from'the main circuit'w 0c, and arranged in multiple, as shown. The two parallel rails or sets of rails of each section are included in and form part of the track-circuit of that section and are in series with each other, the 0011- nections being such that the const antly-closed traclccircuit is normally through the entire length of each one of the two parallel railsor setsof rails of the section, so that a break or misplacement of any rail at any point in the section will break the circuit. The track-circuit of each section is for this purpose from one of the main circuit-wires 00 to the extremity of one of the rails-say the rail nearest the main circuit-through the whole length of thatrail t0 the opposite end thereof; thence to and through the coils of a relay-magnet M, (the use of which willbe hereinafter set forth;) thence to the corresponding extremity of the other one of the two parallel rails to the section, through the whole length of the lastnamed rail to the opposite end thereof, and thence back to the other main circuit-wire w.

The current required on the traclecircuits need only be sufficient to energize the relaymagnets M, which have a resistance of, say, ten ohms, and we therefore interpose on each track-eircuit a resistance-coil R of, say, five hundred ohms.

\Vith each track-section is associated an electric lamp L of, say, fifty ohms resistance, and a signal, such as a semaphore S. The lamp is in a lamp-circuit c, and the operating device of the semaphore-arm is in a signalcircuitb. All of these circuits 1) c are supplied from the main circuit 00 01:, as shown, being in multiple with each other and with the seve 'al track-circuits a.

Each relay-magnet M, through its armaturelever, controls contacts 1 y in the signal-circuit appropriate to thetrack-section in the trackcircuit of which said magnet is included. The movable one of these contacts is carried by the armature-lever. Normally the magnet M is active and attracts its armature-lever with the effect of completing the signal-circuit through the contacts, as seen in sections A G. Then, however, a car is on one of the sectionsfor example, on section Bthe electric current seeks the path of low resistance offered by the car-wheels and axle, (shown by dotted lines,) with the effect of shunting or demagnetizing the magnet M, in which event the armature-lever is drawn back by its retractingspring .9 against the back- IOO tacts y 3 and consequently interrupting the signal-circuit.

Each signal-circuit includes the coils-of a section magnet or solenoid N of, say, fifty ohms resistance, the iron core of which is connected by a brass rod or link to the counterweighted and pivoted semaphore-arm. It is through this device that the semaphore is operated or controlled.

When the signal-circuit Z) is interrupted. and consequently the solenoid is inactive, the iron core by its weight drops, and consequently pulls down on the counterweighted arm of the semaphore with the effect of raising the signal-arm proper to horizontal or danger position, as seen with reference to section B. So long, however, as the signal-circuit is completed or closed the solenoid is active and pulls up its core, with the effect of tilting the semaphore-arm into safety 'position, as shown in sections A and 0.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The combination of the generator, the main circuit, a plurality of track-sections insulated from each other, track-circuits a, one for each section, including and formed in part of the section, the two 'rails of which are connected up therein in series in the manner described, so that the current shall pass through the Whole length of either rail or sets of rails before reaching the other, relay-magnets, one for each track-circuit, interposed between and in series with the two rails of the section appropriate to the track-circuit, signal-circuits I), one for each trac :-section, containing contacts controlled by the relay-magnets, and 1amp-circuits c, said track-circuits, signal-circuits, and lamp-circuits being connected to the main circuit in multiple, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 31st day of January, 1890.

CHARLES HERSCHEL KOYL. JACOB \VILLIAM LATTIG.

\Vitnesses:

J. BRUNNER, CHAs. B. BRUNNER. 

